Abstract Introduction Leeds has a large student demographic, who are at high-risk of gambling-related harm. However, little is understood about the formation of their gambling behaviours, or how these can be prevented. This study builds upon previous research, exploring student gambling via the theory of planned behaviour (TPB i.e. attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control) and negative anticipated emotions (NAE i.e. risk and regret), in order to improve prevention strategies.
Methods
Students (n = 7) from The University of Leeds participated in a focus group. Discussions were based on a topic guide underpinned by research about gambling and TPB/NAE, Questionnaires were used to profile participants' gambling habits.
Results
Thematic analysis was used to identify themes1) Motivation: i. students' main gambling incentive was socialisation ii. students had mixed views about financial motivations to gamble 2) Impact of technologyi. accessibility of gambling ii. normalisation of gambling behaviours 3) Students perception about responsible gambling: i. students' perceptions of ‘responsible gambling' were impacted by perceptions of self-intellect ii. students' perceptions of ‘responsible gambling' fluctuated based on financial status/time of year and scheduling of major sporting eventsConclusion This study recommends that student gambling prevention strategies should focus on challenging social norms associated with gambling and ‘student-culture', particularly within social environments involving alcohol and sports. Prevention strategies could also benefit from coinciding with the arrival of student loans, and major sporting events. Gambling related harms in students (and young people generally) could also benefit from policy changes and further research. External funding details n/a